You’ve seen them on Pinterest. You’ve downloaded them from The Knot. The massive “Wedding Photography Shot List” that promises to capture every angle of your day from “bride with bouquet” to “groom tying shoes in thoughtful pose” to “rings on Bible.” Here’s the thing: you don’t need it.
You need someone who gets you.
A photographer who sees your story as more than a checklist. Someone who knows the difference between recreating staged shots and actually catching the stuff you’ll cry over ten years from now.
Shot lists can seem helpful, especially if you’re nervous about missing something. But too often they pull the focus away from what’s real. Instead of living in the moment, you’re pausing every five minutes to tick another box. And the best moments? They don’t wait for bullet points.
What works better than a shot list is trust. Trust that the person holding the camera isn’t just showing up with a lens and a schedule they’re showing up with intention. They’re reading the room, paying attention, and documenting what actually matters to you, not what a blog said should matter.
Yes, we’ll still get the big stuff. The kiss. The family photos. The dancing. But the images that hit the hardest usually weren’t planned. They were felt. The way your partner looked at you when you didn’t know anyone else was watching. Your sister trying not to cry. That quick hand-squeeze from your dad before walking down the aisle. No list in the world is going to call that one out by name.
So ditch the shot list. Bring your full self. And let your photographer do what they do best: see you for who you are, not just what you’re doing.
